Puzzle



Dec. 9, 1924.

WOOSTER PUZZLE Filed Nov. 14, 1922 2 a Jm 5 SfilNVENTOR:

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,518,889 PATENT OFFICE.

WARREN w. WOOSTER, or BERLIN, NEW JERSEY.

PUZZLE.

Application filed November 14, 1922. Serial No. 600,989.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VARREN W. WOOSTER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Berlin, county of Camden, State of New J ersey, have invented a new and useful Puzzle, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention consists of a puzzle formed of a closed box with 0 nings therein, and a series of slidable bloc s therein of a number that leaves a gap inthe box into which an adjacent block is adapted to be moved whereby all of the blocks may be manipulated, said blocks having on the sides thereof letters or numerals which latter may be brought to View in the openings in the form of words, sentences, etc., and which numerals may be brought to view in regular arithmetical or irregular arithmetical order, although other characteristics such as pictures may be substituted for the letters or numerals, the openings in the box ermitting the fingers to be inserted therelnto to push or move the blocks without allowing the latter to escape from the box.

The invention is satisfactorily illustrated in the accompanying drawing, but the important instrumentalities thereof may be varied, and so it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details shown and described, as long as they are within the spirit or scope of the claims.

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of puzzle embodying my invention.

Figure 2 represents a section on line 22 Fi ure 1.

igure 3 represents a section on line 33 Figure 1.

Figure 4 represents a perspective view of one of the blocks of the puzzle.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

Referring to the drawings,

1 designates a box of quadrilateral form composed of the top 2, the bottom 3, and the several sides 4, said members 4, 3, and 2 being connected whereby the box may be said to be closed so that its contents cannot escape or be removed therefrom.

The series of openings in the top and bottom are each sixteen in number in four parallel rows. the four sides are eight in number in two parallel rows each four in number.

The openings in the top and bottom 1 and 2 are in register. The openings in two The series of openings inopposite sides 4 are in register and the openings in the two other opposite sides 4 are in register.

8 designates cubical or many sided blocks of wood or other suitable material, the same being fifteen in number. They are placed in the box in two layers, one layer being placed on the other, and as there is room in the box for sixteen blocks in a layer and but fifteen are provided in one of the layers whereby there is a blank space or gap 9 in the box of the size of a block.

It will be observed that the diameters of the several openings are less than the lengths of the sides of the blocks consequently the latter cannot escape through the openings and so fall from the box nor can they be removed from the box by the manipulation of the fingers of the hand through said openings.

On the sides of the blocks are printed or otherwise impressed letters 10 and numerals 11, it being seen that a series of letters will be employed which by the manipulation of the blocks are capable of forming words or sentences, and the series of numerals are capable of forming an arithmetical row in consecutive or non-consecutive order as may be desired in either case. This is accomplished by manipulating the blocks. For this purpose, the finger is inserted successively through the respective openings, reach the blocks 'thereat and owing to the blank space 9, a block may be pushed into the latter and another block may be pushed into spaces vacated by the block previously occupying it and so the blocks may be pushed in various directions and manipulated so as to bring the desired letters to view in succession at the respective openings so as to spell words or produce sentences, but it is evident the blocks may be pushed and manipulated so as to bring the numerals in regular arithmetical or irregular arithmetical order.

The puzzle may have many shapes and forms and a great variety of combination of figures, letters and character given to each. In the puzzle as illustrated, Sesqui Centennial can be spelled on the upper 1 and the lower 2 faces and when this is accomplished Philadelphia 1926 will automatically appear on three of its sides 4, as shown in Figure 1, the blocks on the remaining side being blank. Numerals which are on the opposite sides of the block from the letters forming Sesqui Centennial and laying adjacent to one another on the division plane between the two layers of blocks can be made toappear on the upper and lower faces of the puzzle and to count in arithmetical order to fifteen, the side faces being blank. The side faces of certain blocks are numbered so that they may be made to count in arithmetical order to eight on each of the side faces 4:, no attention being given to the arrangement of figures or letters on the upper and lower faces. As each of the blocks have one or more blank sides another arrangement is to have no letters or numerals appearing on any of the sides 4, no attention also being given as in the previous combination to the arrangement of figures or letters on the upper and lower faces, so in this scheme of marking the blocks we have six combinations or puzzles.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A puzzle consisting of a closed box and slidable many-sided blocks therein, the latter having letters, numerals or other characteristics on the face thereof, the walls of said box having therein a plurality of finger-receiving openings of less area than said blocks through which the sides of said blocks are visible, and the blocks are made movable, said blocks being in number one less than that required to fill the box forming in the box of the size of a block a gap into which an adjacent block may be pushed in the manipulation of the blocks to produce the results of the puzzle.

2. In a puzzle a series of shiftable characteristic blocks in layers one of which is of an irregular number, and a closed container for said blocks consisting of a box-like member in which said blocks are visible and movable and manipulatable, the sides of said member having therein a series of openings of regular number, of less area than said blocks, and one greater than one layer of the blocks.

3. In a puzzle, a box having a top and bottom provided with a plurality of aligning openings, and opposite sides havin also a plurality of aligmng openings, an two layers of polygonal blocks in said box, having numerals on one of their sides and letters on their other sides, said openings being of lesser area than said blocks, and the latter being in number one less than that required to fill said box.

WARREN W. WOOSTER.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, N. Bossmenn. 

